Hen Party!

I love these girls. Thanks so much for a fantastic weekend!

Arg, I probably shouldn't have...

...but I did. Its so eco-nasty, but I got stuff for bathroom baskets for the wedding! Some of it I already had, and all of it I'll use, especially because I travel so much. For the ladies room the little bin will have

Hair:
folding brush
bobby pins
elastics
hair gel
hairspray

Nails:
Polish remover pads
nail clippers
clear polish
nail file
super glue

Mouth:
Wisps (disposal toothbrushes)
flossing sticks
dental floss
mouthwash
mints

First Aid:
bandaids
first aid ointment
blister pads
advil
Claritin
pepto bismol pills
contact lens solution
purell
bug spray
sunscreen
Emergen-C
coughdrops

Clothes repair:
sewing kit
scissors
lint roller
safety pins
static spray
Wine Away
Tide stain remover
double sided tape

Other:
Tissues
baby wipes
lotion
body spray
blotting paper
tape
vaseline
makeup remover
tweezers
tampons
liners
AA batteries
list of taxis

Cost: $45, but had a $43 credit at Bed Bath and Beyond, so not terrible. The boys room will have the mouth stuff and some of the first aid stuff, nail clippers, tissues. Hopefully this stuff will come in handy. Apparently you can't get either areosol or pump spray deodarant anymore, so don't forget ladies!

The Final Countdown

This was the last weekend I had to get a bunch of minor stuff done before the wedding, because next weekend is my hen party with the girls!

Yesterday I made major progress on the final few projects I had and managed to only patronize small stores in my own town! My list of things to do included:
- Buy glue dots for photo guest book
- Make photo guest book
- buy foam core board for photo display
- affix photos to photo display
- buy earrings/necklace or beads to make them
- make "reserved" signs for the bride/groom table

At the stationary store in downtown Mill Valley I got this really cool glue on a roll to use for pasting the instant photos in the guestbook.
I bought earrings for just $14 at a boutique in downtown Mill Valley.
At the bigger stationary store across town, I bought a recycled chipboard binder to use for the guestbook, recycled cardstock for the pages, and a tri-fold foam core display board.

On a whim on the way home I swung by the art and paper store where I bought the paper for our tables. I had purchased every last piece that they had back in the spring but lo and behold they had more so I bought a few more pieces for use on the cake table and the guest-book table.

I'm really happy about how the guest book came out - I pasted one of our invites to the front and on the spine I glued a piece of the ribbon that will be used to decorate our cake. Just a few more details to work out today, then I'll feel like I'm in good shape. Two weeks to go!

More shoes...

So the green shoes I chose are pretty high and I'm kind of worried I'll suffer from shoe fatigue about 2 hours in. So I bought some lower back-up shoes for $40 today:

Local Flora!

Local Flora is awesome - we're getting a tray of 42 gerbera daisys for our tables from them. They were really easy to work with and their prices are VERY good. Best part? All the flowers are local. Our daisys will come from a farm in Petaluma picked THAT DAY. How cool is that?

Help: I want a great place to get married in New England!

In response to this post, on 2000 dollar wedding, I created the following list, which has been requested many times by readers of 2000 wedding.

My grandparents 50th anniversary party was at Mount Agamenticus in York Maine. Its a large hall on the top of a mountain. We had a caterer, but I think I remember there being a kitchen. It has incredible views, and is a beautiful rustic place. The website isn't great, but here it is: http://www.agamenticus.org/index.htmlProbably best for you to just call and ask questions, but I'm sure its affordable.

Carters cross country ski center in Bethel Maine is a small lodge but I know the owners and their daughter had her reception there. Since its a ski center, they would likely be interested in renting it out off season. Call (207) 539-4848 and ask to talk to Jessica. Anne (her mom) can also help you, but I think Jes would be more into the idea. (she had her recpetion there.) Jes and I were great friends and on the cross country ski team together in high school. :-)

This place is amazing. http://www.kezarlakehouse.com/westways.htmlItused to be a restaurant but is now a vacation rental. I'm not sure it would be ideal for a large wedding, but it could work. Kezar Lake is one of the most beautiful in Maine. There are a bunch of state parks on the coast of Maine and on inland lakes that have facilities for groups. Check out the Maine state parks webpage.

Sebago Lake is really cool and has a group picnic facility. http://www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/doc/parks/find_one_name.pl?park_id=26

This place in Casco, Maine seems kitchy and fun, but I don't know anything about it personally: http://www.alyssasmotel.com/index.htm

The best way to rent a "camp" (Maine speak for summer cottage - not summer camp like what you go to when you're a kid) is to find one you like, find out who owns it, then call them up and ask about it. There are a bunch of affordable camps on lakes in Western Maine in Bryant Pond and Locke Mills Maine. Local real estate agents can guide your search.

Mt. Greylock in North Adams Mass has a lodge on top of it and a large open field that would be ideal for a wedding. Not sure if they would rent it out, but might be worth checking out. Fantastic views and sunsets! http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/mtGreylock/
There's also this site for Massachusetts parks: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/recreate/dayuse.htm

Think about renting a local dowhnill ski lodge off-season. You could get a really good rate since these places are largely sitting unoccupied during the summer. Potentially you could have the ceremony on the top of the mountain, transported by chair-lift, then the receiption at the lodge at the base.
Ideas:http://www.skiblackmountain.org/
http://www.camdensnowbowl.com/
http://www.mtabram.com/
http://www.lostvalleyski.com/ (A lot of folks from my high school get married here)http://www.sprucemountain.org/

Here are some more conventional and less DIY ideas:
http://www.bearmtninn.com/ - has "packages" which could be fairly affordable if you're not having too many people
http://www.cape-cottages.com/ A private, peaceful place located on Thompson Lake in Otisfield, Maine. Site available May, June, September and October only. Perfect for outdoor, tented receptions. Lodging onsite. Limit 140 guests.
http://www.highlandlakeresort.com/

My friend Thea is a wedding photographer in New Hampshire and has been to a TON of weddings in New England at all sorts of venues. I'm sure she'd be happy to give some ideas. thea@authenticeye.com

Hope this is helpful. Best of luck!